Praseodymium

Properties

Symbol

Name

Atomic
Number

Atomic
Weight

Group
Number

Pr

Praseodymium

59

140.90765

Description

Standard State: Solid at 298 K Color: silvery white, yellowish tinge

In 1841, Mosander extracted the rare earth didymia from lanthana; in 1879, Lecoq de
Boisbaudran isolated a new earth, samaria, from didymia obtained from the mineral
samarskite. Six years later in 1885, von Welsbach separated didymia into two
other earths, praseodymium and meodymia, which gave salts of different colors.
Praseodymium can be prepared by several methods, such as by calcium reduction of the
anhydrous chloride of fluoride. Misch metal, used in making cigarette lighters, contains
about 5% praseodymium metal.